


Partners Old and New

by ladyinpink602 (leodis57)



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-03 11:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leodis57/pseuds/ladyinpink602
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feliciano and Fernando do a little reminiscing after the Verdasco/Marrero win at the WTF in London.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partners Old and New

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction and I don't know any of the people depicted in this story.

Two hours had passed since the match and Feliciano reckoned it was as good a time as any to phone Fernando.   He took the phone into his bedroom so he could speak in private, there were too many people in the house, celebrating and drinking.

“Congratulations, champion!” he said as Fernando answered his call. “Do I have to pay to talk to you now?”

“Hello you.” came the answer.  Fernando’s voice sounded a little slurred and Feliciano could hear background chatter.   “I thought you’d never call” added Fernando and Feliciano could swear his mouth had formed into a pout.

“Hey, I restrained myself from phoning earlier – thought you’d be too busy getting drunk.”

Fernando giggled.  “Haha, never too drunk to talk to you.”

Feliciano kicked off his shoes and lay back on the bed.  “So, where are you now and what’s all that noise, mm?”

“Oh it’s just the family, David and the team – we’re having a few drinks at the hotel before we go out for a meal.”

There weren’t many times in his life that Feliciano felt he was missing out on the action but just now was one of them. “Yeah? Say hi to your folks for me – and  congrats to David of course.”

He held the phone away from his ear as he heard Fernando shout ‘Feli says hi, everyone!’   “Dad says ‘hi’ back and Mom just blew you a kiss.  David – oh wait a sec, David wants a word.”

Feliciano could hear the phone being handed over.  “Hola Feli!” said David loudly.  He was clearly enjoying himself.

“Well done, David – you played brilliantly, both of you.  I’m proud of you!” replied Feliciano.  “I’d give you both a hug if I was there.”

“Aw thanks Feli, that means a lot!” said David amidst muffled giggling and sound of champagne bottles popping.

“David’s had to go open another bottle!” laughed Fernando having taken back the phone.

“Sounds like your hotel is **the** place to be just now”.  Feliciano was having another wistful moment.

“Feli?”

“Yeah?”

“Is everything OK?”

Feliciano answered a little too quickly.  “Of course it is!”

“Right, I’m just going into the bathroom so we can talk properly, OK?” Feliciano imagined Fernando biting his lip, his usual habit prior to taking charge.

There was a crackling sound, interspersed with shouts and giggles and breaking glass, before a door thudded and Fernando joined him again.

“So …” said Fernando “What’s up?”

“Nothing, only that I’m so proud of you, you know?” There was a lump is Feliciano’s throat as he spoke.

“You are?”

“I knew you could do it, you and David.  You just played fantastic all week.”

“You know I sort of sensed you were with me? Willing us on – that’s why I said that stuff about support from people at home. I was thinking of you.” Fernando’s voice softened as he said this.  

“’For all you have been in my life’ you said.”

“I meant it, Feli.”

Feliciano could feel tears pricking his eyes and he roughly rubbed his fingers across them.  “Yeah, you do realise I had to stop myself bawling in front of everyone when you said that?”

There was a chuckle from Fernando.  “It would have been even better if you’d been here with me like I asked you.”

“You know I couldn’t Fer, no way – not with our history, it wouldn’t have been right.”

“Yeah, I get that but still you should have been there, with my family….”

“But what about David? It would have been really awkward for him.” Feliciano prided himself on his magnanimity towards David.  Other people might feel a little jealous in his situation.

“So, about David … you Ok with us playing doubles?”

“Fer I told you last year, go ahead find another doubles partner didn’t I? Have I ever said I minded? We needed a break from playing together.”  He stated this with vehemence, trying to convince himself as much as Fernando.

“That’s what you _said_ but I was never sure.”

“I’m not the jealous type Fer” he replied remembering Fernando’s reaction when he told him he was going to play doubles with Rafa all those years ago.  He shuddered thinking of the rows caused by Fernando’s jealousy; it had been a difficult time. He didn’t want to acknowledge that he too might feel jealous, so he squashed those feelings down.

There was the crackling sound again as Feliciano heard his friend telling someone the bathroom was occupied.

“Back again. Can you imagine what it would have been like though, if it had been me and you today?”

Feliciano smirked.  “I certainly can.”

“And I’m not just talking about the match!”

“Neither am I babe.”

“I’m sort of thinking, Davis Cup, celebrations in the locker room ….”

“In the shower …”

“Nearly getting caught …”

“Back at the hotel afterwards …”

“Yeah, me on top”

“Funny, that’s not the way _I_ remember it.”

Fernando laughed.  “Selective memory I think!”

“So ….”

“So.”

“Fer?”

 ”Mm?

“Promise me that you won’t have so much to drink that you forget it’s David you’re with tonight!”  

“Feli, c’mon, is that likely?”

“I don’t know – Ana’s gone back home.”

“Yeah but I’m not into guys.”

“Oh? So what am I then?” Feliciano sounded hurt. “A giraffe perhaps?”

There was a sigh.  “Feli you know what I mean.  It was always, well, different with you. We just kind of -  extended our friendship.”

“Huh that’s one way of putting it.  I would have said we were fucking.”

“Feliciano!”

Though they’d been lovers since either of them cared to remember,  it always amused Feliciano how coy Fernando could be sometimes.

“Well don’t go … extending your friendship with David, OK?”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Really? You looked pretty damned close at the trophy ceremony.”

“Not the jealous type then, Feli?”

“I’m thinking of David” said Feliciano with as much conviction as he could muster. “Don’t want him to be – misled.”

Fernando burst out laughing.  “Of course you are.”

“So …”

“So?”

“I’d better let you go and re-join your party.”

“Yeah.”

“Talk soon and …”

“And what?”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do will you?”

There was a snort from Fernando.  “Doesn’t leave much then does it!”

“G’night champion.”

“’Night Feli”.

As Feliciano ended the call he was overcome with a strange mixture of emotions.   Though he had turned down Fernando’s invitation to join him in London, he would give anything to be there with him now.  He felt the need to prove that even though they didn’t play doubles any more they still had a partnership that transcended tennis. 

 

END

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
